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Circulating Cytokines and Lower Body Muscle Performance in Older Adults at Hospital Admission

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Background

Aging-related traits, including gradual loss of skeletal muscle mass and chronic inflammation, are linked to altered body composition and impaired physical functionality, which are important contributing factors to the disabling process. We sought to explore the potential relationship between lower-body muscle strength decline and inflammatory mediators in older adults.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional analysis in 38 older adults admitted to an acute care of the elderly unit (57.9% women, mean age=87.9±4.9 years; mean body mass index [BMI]=26.5±4.7 kg/m2). Clinical and functional outcomes including weight, height, BMI, dependence, physical and cognitive performance, and muscle strength measured by one-repetition maximum (1RM) for leg-extension, leg-press, chest-press and handgrip strength, were assessed. Blood serum content of 59 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors was assessed by protein arrays. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between cytokine concentrations and muscle strength parameters.

Results

After controlling for confounding factors (age, sex, BMI, cumulative illness rating score and physical performance score), 1RM leg-press had a significant negative relationship with GRO (CXCL2) (β= −18.13, p=0.049), MIG (CXCL9) (β= −13.94, p=0.004), IGF-1 (β= −19.63, p=0.003), CK-BETA 8 (CCL23) (β= −28.31, p=0.018) and GCP-2 (CXCL6) (β= −25.78, p=0.004). Likewise, 1RM leg-extension had a significant negative relationship with IGFBP-1 (β= −11.49, p=0.023).

Conclusions

Thus, several serum cytokines/chemokines and growth factors are negatively associated with lower muscle strength in older patients. Further investigation is required to elucidate the mechanism of elevated inflammatory mediators leading to lower muscle strength.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Navarrabiomed, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra (CHN)-Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, Spain

    R. Ramírez-Vélez, M. L. Sáez De Asteasu, N. Martínez-Velilla, F. Zambom-Ferraresi, A. García-Hermoso, A. E. Recarey & Mikel Izquierdo

  2. Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain

    R. Ramírez-Vélez, M. L. Sáez De Asteasu, N. Martínez-Velilla, F. Zambom-Ferraresi & Mikel Izquierdo

  3. Laboratorio de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y la Salud, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago, Chile

    A. García-Hermoso

  4. Proteored-Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Navarrabiomed, Navarra Health Department, Public University of Navarra, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain

    J. Fernández-Irigoyen & E. Santamaría

  5. Translational Bioinformatics Unit (TransBio), Navarrabiomed, Navarra Health Department, Public University of Navarra, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, 31008, Spain

    S. Palomino-Echeverría

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  1. R. Ramírez-Vélez
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  2. M. L. Sáez De Asteasu
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  3. N. Martínez-Velilla
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  4. F. Zambom-Ferraresi
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  5. A. García-Hermoso
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  6. A. E. Recarey
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  7. J. Fernández-Irigoyen
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  8. E. Santamaría
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  9. S. Palomino-Echeverría
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  10. Mikel Izquierdo
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Correspondence to Mikel Izquierdo.

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Approved by the local Research Ethics Committee (ID Pyto2018/7, N°264; IS May 2018)

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Ramírez-Vélez, R., Sáez De Asteasu, M.L., Martínez-Velilla, N. et al. Circulating Cytokines and Lower Body Muscle Performance in Older Adults at Hospital Admission. J Nutr Health Aging 24, 1131–1139 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1480-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1480-7

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